Get ready to adopt a pet this school holidays

“The school holidays are a
great time to adopt a pet into your family because it gives
you, your kids, and your pet the best opportunity to settle
in and bond successfully,” says Christine Kalin, CEO of
SPCA Auckland.

“And when you adopt a pet from SPCA
Auckland, you not only have the satisfaction of knowing
you’ve saved a life, but you also get a ‘ready made
pet’ that has been vet checked, desexed, temperament
assessed, vaccinated, and microchipped. Plus, we can also
provide advice on how to care for your new pet and how to
settle it into your home.”

Here’s our Top 5 reasons
why pets and families are a great
combination:

1.Caring.
Interacting with a pet helps kids learn to be
gentle with living things.

2.Responsibility. From about 5 years old
onwards kids can take over feeding and cleaning tasks, which
helps them learn to be responsible and gives them a chance
to earn pocket money.

3.Empathy. Kids will often try to play with a
pet in different ways. If the pet doesn't like what they're
doing, their reaction helps kids learn to be sensitive to
the needs and feelings of other living
things.

4.Play. A
pet can provide hours of fun for your kids, which can be a
bonus during holiday time.

5.Love. Pets are indiscriminate about sharing
the love and that rubs off on everyone in the household,
helping everyone feel closer and more relaxed.

But before
you head out to the SPCA Auckland Animal Village and start
auditioning pet prospects, you need to ask yourself if
you’re ready to adopt. If you can answer ‘yes’ to the
following five questions, you’re on the right
track.

1.Money: can you
afford a pet? We take care of the upfront costs
like desexing but you’ll have to meet the ongoing costs
like food, toys, bedding, worming, annual health checks, vet
bills, and more. For instance, the cost of caring for an
average sized dog can be more than $20 a week. Can you
handle that?

2.Time: do you
have time to care for a pet? House training,
obedience training, feeding, walking, vet visits – pets
need a lot of attention. Plus companion animals like dogs
and cats thrive on human company and will depend on you for
food, shelter, and love their whole lives. If you work long
hours or are away a lot, is there enough room in your life
for a pet?

3.Responsibility:
do you know how to care for a pet? It’s not just
a case of putting food in its bowl and buying it a comfy
basket. When you adopt a pet you take on responsibility for
its health and wellbeing for its whole life, which means the
buck stops with you if it is sick or injured or has other
issues. Can you step up to that?

4.Commitment: can you care for a pet for its whole
life? The average lifespan of dogs and cats is
around 12 years – but some last years longer. Plus what
begins as a cute puppy or kitten may take a lot more of your
time and money to care for when it’s fully grown. Can you
commit to a pet for longer than a
decade?

5.Environment: is
your home suitable for a pet? Your property needs
to match your pet as much as you do. If you’re adopting a
dog, for instance, you’ll need fencing to stop it from
roaming. Does your garden offer enough space for your pet to
play and exercise in? And if you’re renting, you need to
check with your landlord whether pets are allowed.

“If
you’re ready to adopt, we urge you to visit the Animal
Village, find the perfect pet, and save a life this school
holidays,” says Ms Kalin.

You can view animals
for adoption at spca.org.nz or at the SPCA Auckland Animal
Village, 50 Westney Rd, Mangere, 10.00am – 4.00pm every
day except Good Friday and Easter
Sunday.

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